It’s what consumers see, pick up, hold, and take home with them – it’s a literal and figurative touchpoint between your brand and your customers.

That means you need to be absolutely certain your product packaging is worth bringing home. As we wrote,

Good design is a signal to customers that they should buy from you.

This is true not only online, but also for physical products.

Packaging design, for example, can alter the perception of your product. Megan Sullivan, in her article “The Psychology of Product Packaging,” points out:

We all want to believe that consumers make decisions on products and services strictly based on merit, with the best one winning. In spite of that hope, psychologists and retailers agree that in many cases this just isn’t true. Quality aside, sometimes the flashier, prettier or sexier product wins the day.
So what does this mean for retailers and product manufacturers? What it means is that creating a terrific product is only part of the formula for sales success. Packaging it perfectly, complete with eye-catching graphics and colors, is just as important to your financial success.

Make sure your packages don’t get left on the shelves in 2019 because of dated, unattractive design.

Here’s are 2019 packaging design trends that are accessible, attractive, and easily adapted for any business.

It can provide a break for consumer eyes weary of bright, cluttered packaging adorned with outrageous or ornate design work.

Minimal design can also bolster a brand’s personality.

by trisant on crowdspring

Imagine a beauty product with a sparse, uncluttered package, or a cleaning product with a truly clean design.

Just because something is minimal, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s simplistic.

The goal is to strip away what’s unnecessary from a package’s design until only the essential remains.

This gives your product a truly clean slate on which to shine.

2. Sustainable packaging

by mattmac on crowdspring

With more and more focus on the impact of packaging waste, it’s more important than ever that designers and companies think green.

It’s not just the right thing to do. A Nielsen study found that 66 percent of global consumers said they would pay more for sustainable brands.

Many studies on the buying habits of Millennials found a preference for sustainable products as well. A different Nielsen study found that 3 out of 4 Millennials and 72 percent of Gen Z polled would pay more for a product with sustainable packaging.

It shows that you have nothing to hide, and can encourage a level of trust not possible with products hiding behind a closed…box.

After all, seeing is believing.

by rdimension on crowdspring

7. Cause-friendly package graphics

by PIX on crowdspring

Companies that stand for something resonate with consumers. A Core LLC study confirmed this, revealing some impressive numbers. According to the study:

Forty-one percent of Americans say they have purchased a product in the past year because it was associated with a social or environmental cause. A full 83 percent of consumers want more of the products, services and retailers they use to benefit causes.

The study also found that companies who support causes are viewed more positively, and can benefit from switchers who jump from other brands. Specifically:

85% have a more positive image of a product or company when it supports a cause they care about; and,

80% are likely to switch brands, similar in price and quality, to one that supports a cause.

As we discussed earlier in our look at sustainable packaging, increasing numbers of consumers seek out companies who make it clear they care. Whether this is through sustainable packaging or clearly stated causes and charities doesn’t matter.

Wearing your heart on your proverbial sleeve (or in this case, packaging) is ultimately good for everyone, and good for business. This is a trend bound to grow as younger, more socially-aware consumers start flexing their immense buying power.

8. Vintage packaging

by BlackCatDesign on crowdspring

Every year, designers look to the past to find inspiration.

by TheBrandBureau on crowdspring

Package designs that recall vintage elements, colors, or patterns but with a refreshingly modern twist will be found in abundance in 2019.

Packages with a vintage feel draw in consumers who search for that “artisanal” or handmade quality.

It may be ironic to use something evoking the past to charm those looking for authentic in-the-now experiences.

by studiox on crowdspring

But what’s more authentic than getting in touch with our history?

Vintage designs also convey exclusivity. An old-fashioned look feels bespoke and unusual. That feeling lets a purchaser feel they’ve collected something rather than simply made a careless purchase.

If you’re looking to create an aura of sophisticated taste, finely crafted goods wrapped in vintage packaging is a great way to create that tastefully curated experience.

Authentic; exclusive; handmade: if any of these fit your brand, a vintage-era look may work for your package’s design.

by meshkenas on crowdspring

9. Package graphics that tell a story

by freejazzfreejazz on crowdspring

The best packaging tells a compelling story to interested consumers.

A good brand story conveys a central message in every visual piece of branding your business has. Your brand story, in many ways, is the backbone of your entire brand identity.

Product packaging has the power to inspire us to purchase a product and can make us feel even better about the purchase we’ve just made.

To build a strong brand, you must tell compelling brand stories. As we wrote previously:

Effective product packaging does more than merely set the stage for a product. The experience of unpacking a product is part of a customer’s experience with a brand, much like a company’s name and logo.

The need to tell compelling brand stories will only grow in importance in the year 2019.

If you want your packaging to tell your own story, consider these questions for your designs:

That’s what makes them so great for lending an air of dynamism to a design without overwhelming the important stuff.

by trisant on crowdspring

Gradients add depth and complexity to packaging without distracting from the product itself.

The colorful design provides just enough visual interest to draw the viewer’s eye – and then helps customers to remember the brand later on.

That kind of attention gives any product on a shelf a much sought after advantage.

It’s easy to see why gradients aren’t going anywhere in 2019.

by alancreative on crowdspring

11. Artisan package graphics

by PIX on crowdspring

We recently wrote about the massive success of Etsy and, by extension, the success of the independent seller marketplaces found there. As we wrote,

A major part of Etsy’s appeal for people is the authentic, local-shop feeling of the store and product – even if that store is actually located thousands of miles away.

The artisan, handcrafted, personal feel of the products found on Etsy all reflect a broader trend: the growing preference to purchase products that feel local, handmade, intimately crafted, and not mass produced.

For products that are created with each individual purchaser’s needs in mind, packaging should reflect that carefully crafted feeling.

Make sure your packaging illustrates your authentic, craftsman identity and emphasizes that your product was created by you.

This trend is focused on impressing upon customers that your product is natural, fresh, handmade, and a genuine artisan experience.

Author

Amanda Bowman is best known for her work in art, design, helping strangers at the grocery store, and her extensive knowledge of X-Files canon. When not chasing down her adorable son from the clutches of Bob the Builder, she can be found writing, reading, designing t-shirts, and perfecting her Tom Jones impression.